Ionia County pays tribute to veterans

As Veterans Day nears, many communities and schools are paying tribute to those who have served and are serving in the United States military. Here are a number of events welcome to the public.

• Belding citizens and visitors will see history take place just west of the Pere Marquette Depot. Thanks to Belding VFW Post #4406 member Denny Craycraft, a new memorial wall will help remember local veterans from World War II. A wall used to stand in the city, but it was decommissioned on Veterans Day in 1948. Craycraft has spent more than one year fundraising, planning and working with the community to complete the memorial, which is called the Belding Freedom Wall.

The reveal ceremony, which is expected to draw hundreds of people, will take place at 11 a.m. Sunday.

• Members of the VFW David A. Huhn Post #12082 in Ionia and members of the American Legion in Hubbardston are helping celebrate Veterans Day by remembering fallen soldiers.

"The Fight Continues" is a service project set on educating the public on the sacrifices taken by military families and the Reading of the Fallen will allow the public to help keep more than 1,700 fallen veterans in their minds and hearts.

The event in Ionia will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Steele Street Hall, and the Hubbardston event will take place at the same time at the American Legion, coinciding with 600 communities in the nation who also are expected to be reading the names in the three-hour period.

For more information, visit www.the-fight-continues.com.• In Portland, members of the VFW Post #4090 will host a Veterans Appreciation Lunch from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

• The village of Lyons will host a Veterans Day Sunset Honors Ceremony from 6 to 9 p.m. at the veterans memorial Sunday with a lighting of the torches at sunset. Members of the Lyons-Muir VWF Post #4646 are helping host the event.

• Two local schools will help celebrate Veterans Day by holding ceremonies for the students and members of the public.

Threshold Academy in Orleans will have an event at 2 p.m. today in the gymnasium of the school, located at 5827 Orleans Road.

Staff and students at Portland St. Patrick Catholic School will host a ceremony at 9 a.m. Monday in the gymnasium of the school, located at 122 West St. Refreshments will follow in the Parish Hall.

• Montcalm Community College in Sidney also will provide a location for honoring veterans. MCC's Veterans Club is sponsoring a ceremony that will begin at 11 a.m. Monday under the flagpoles at the Donald C. Burns Administration and Library. A luncheon will be provided following the ceremony, which is free for veterans and students and $2 for other visitors. For more information, contact Gary Hauck at 989-328-1234.

Follow Karin Armbruster on Twitter @ISSKarin

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